Unique Birthday Gift Ideas for Men

Finding birthday gift ideas for men can be challenging.

That's probably because unlike women, most men don't like shopping,
don't accessorize, hardly use cosmetics and don't even care much about
what they wear most of the time (at least the men in my life)...

So how can we "hit the spot" with the perfect birthday gift idea for him? After all, what options do we have left?

I was wondering about that same question myself, and after an extensive research (my poor husband...) I reached several conclusions which led to some unique birthday gift ideas for men:

What do men really want?

The first conclusion I got to was that it's more about what they don't want! Check out this Men's Treasure Box gift basket
idea page where I explain my theory and provide you with an idea for a
gift basket full of male birthday gift ideas (there's a special
printable coupon book too!)

Tip: if you want to find out what he really wants try
looking for clues on his Facebook / Twitter / instagram accounts. Maybe he "liked", twitted or took a picture of an item he really wants on there.

"Alone time" gift ideas - part I

According to my research it turns out that one of the best birthday gift ideas for men, especially ones with families, is anything that will allow them some quality
"alone time" with themselves. Any gift that will give them that privilege will make
them extremely happy. So if your recipient has a hobby he wishes he had more time for, give him a matching gift basket: It could be a golfing gift basket for the golfer, a gardening gift basket for the gardener, a swimming gift basket for the avid swimmer or any of the other hobby related gift baskets that are relevant for your recipient.

"Alone time" gift ideas - part II

If you are in need of a birthday gift idea for a man who doesn't have a hobby, it does not mean that he wouldn't appreciate some quality alone time. It only means you need to be a bit more creative about it ... For example, if your recipient likes to spend a lot of time in the toilet, go for the toilet thinker gift basket. Or if his preferred quality time is spent in front of the TV, put together a couch potato gift basket for him. If most of his alone time narrows down to driving to or from work, give him this car driver gift basket
to maximize his driving experience. And if he hardly ever has time for
himself since he is always traveling on business, you can sweeten his
trips by putting together a frequent traveler gift basket just for him.

"Keep it functional!" gift ideas

Not much to add to the title - it's pretty self-explained. Most men like their gifts to be practical. E.g. in most cases, a woodworking kit is a much better birthday gift idea for men than an artistic abstract painting.

Gift ideas for shopping avoiders

If your recipient hates shopping, he'll appreciate any
gift that will save him the agony of decision making and endless
wondering through stores. This means that if he is in desperate need of socks, shirts, underwear etc., you will be doing him a big favor
if you pick some for him as a gift. Not only will it be extremely
practical for him (see item above), but it will also give you a chance
to upgrade his wardrobe if he is fashion challenged.

"The Best of the Best" gift ideas

Since most guys hardly buy stuff for themselves, once they do own something, they appreciate it much more if it's top quality.

So, when you buy a birthday gift for him, and try to decide between brands, go for the top notch item: the best whiskey / earphones / cigars / power drill / leather belt etc.

It might be more expensive, but he'll cherish it more. Not to mention it will probably last longer, so if he hates shopping he won't need to replace it anytime soon - another side benefit for him...

The Gadget Exception

Women have a whole range of products to adore and desire which men
couldn't care less about - shoes, makeup, cosmetics, jewelry, shoes,
hair accessories, clothes, shoes, did I mention shoes?...

However, there is one field that does appeal to many men - the gadget world. They love cool technological widgets, widgets related accessories and, surprisingly, widget apparel add-ons too (covers, cases etc).

If you are on an unlimited budget, the gadget
itself makes an excellent birthday gift idea for men (the latest smartphone,
laptop, tablet, GPS system, TV, streamer). However if you are not a
Rockefeller offspring, go for the related accessories.

For example, if your recipient owns an iPad,
he would be delighted to upgrade his iPad experience with an iPad
cover, detachable keyboard, iPad holder, touch pen and all other iPad related accessories (click on the link to get a glimpse of how many are there).

The same goes for other gadgets too. Sounds expensive? Not necessarily. You can find many affordable accessories online. Here is a link to my favorite online gadget store.
They have extremely cheap cool products, great service, and free
shipping across the world (I always find something there I never knew I
needed, and since it's so cheap I don't think twice before ordering).

If your recipient is a techie by definition consider making him a techie gift basket with all the everyday essentials he could possibly need.

Personalize it!

Whether you are a woman or a man it's flattering to receive a gift that really matches you,
your hobbies or your personality. It shows that the giver really knows
you and cares so much about you that they took the time and effort to
prepare your gift. It makes you feel special!

By "personalize" I don't necessarily mean monogrammed towels or custom made jewelry. I am referring to matching gifts to your recipient's personality, tendencies and habits.

You can find some pretty cool birthday gift ideas for men in the below categories:

Gift basket ideas by hobby - birthday gift ideas for him if he has a hobby, wishes he had a hobby, or it's about time he had a hobby.